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It took quite a bit longer than usual, but it's finally Rivalry Week for Kentucky and Louisville, who will face off in a regular-season finale for the first time Saturday. After five consecutive losses and a bye week, the Wildcats (5-6) must beat the 24th-ranked Cardinals (8-3) on the road to earn UK's first bowl berth since 2010.

It's a tall order for the freefalling Cats, considering U of L has won 3 of 4 – the only loss coming to No. 1 Florida State in a game the Cards long controlled – including back-to-back road wins at Boston College and Notre Dame. Louisville's defense is ridiculous, ranking No. 1 nationally in interceptions (23), No. 3 in average rushing yards allowed (88.4), No. 7 in total yards allowed (290.2), No. 9 in sacks (36) and No. 13 in points allowed (18.7).

A brief history of the series: Kentucky won the first seven games – the first six by a combined score of 210-0 from 1912 to 1922, at which point the rivalry was paused for 70 years. It returned in 1994 when Howard Schnellenberger, who played for Bear Bryant at UK, was the Cardinals' coach. Since 2010, the game's MVP has been given an award named after Schnellenberger.

The winner of the modern incarnation of the game has been given the Governor's Cup. While the Wildcats lead the all-time series 14-12, Louisville is 12-8 in the modern era. UK won in 1994, back-to-back in '97 and '98 with Tim Couch lighting it up (and ruining the grand opening of Papa John's Cardinal Stadium), again in 2002 to break a three-game Cards winning streak and most recently four in a row from 2007-10.

Louisville has four winning streaks in the series: back-to-back in 1995 and 1996, three straight from 1999-2001, four in a row 2003-2006 and the last three heading into this one. There have been several blowouts in the series, but 9 of 20 games in the modern rivalry have been decided by a touchdown or less. The Cards won the only overtime game in the series in 2000.

Kentucky has actually won 6 of 10 when the game is in Louisville, including twice against ranked U of L teams, beating the No. 9 Cards in 2007 and No. 17 in 2002. Can the Cats do it again, punching their ticket to the postseason in the most satisfying way possible? "Who wouldn't want to beat Louisville to go to a bowl game?" star UK defensive end Bud Dupree said. "So we just gotta make it happen."

CLOSE

Louisville football coach Bobby Petrino talks about going into South Bend and beating Notre Dame

By the way, Louisville coach Bobby Petrino is 4-0 in the series with an average margin of victory of 20.5 points. Second-year Cats coach Mark Stoops lost his rivalry debut last fall. Here's a complete rundown of the series, with Kentucky's wins bolded:

KENTUCKY-LOUISVILLE FOOTBALL SERIES

1912 – Kentucky 41, Louisville 0

1913 – Kentucky 20, Louisville 0

1914 – Kentucky 42, Louisville 0

1915 – Kentucky 15, Louisville 0

1922 – Kentucky 63, Louisville 0

1924 – Kentucky 29, Louisville 0

1994 – Kentucky 20, Louisville 14

1995 – Louisville 13, Kentucky 10

1996 – Louisville 38, Kentucky 14

1997 – Kentucky 38, Louisville 24

1998 – Kentucky 68, Louisville 34

1999 – Louisville 56, Kentucky 28

2000 – Louisville 40, Kentucky 34

2001 – Louisville 36, Kentucky 10

2002 – Kentucky 22, Louisville 17

2003 – Louisville 40, Kentucky 24

2004 – Louisville 28, Kentucky 0

2005 – Louisville 31, Kentucky 24

2006 – Louisville 59, Kentucky 28

2007 – Kentucky 40, Louisville 34

2008 – Kentucky 27, Louisville 2

2009 – Kentucky 31, Louisville 27

2010 – Kentucky 23, Louisville 16

2011 – Louisville 24, Kentucky 17

2012 – Louisville 32, Kentucky 14

2013 – Louisville 27, Kentucky 13

CLOSE

University of Kentucky head football coach Mark Stoops spoke optimistically despite the Cats' trouncing at the hands of the University of Tennessee. Nov. 15, 2014

* For instant updates on the Wildcats, follow me on Twitter @KyleTucker_CJ. Email me at ktucker@courier-journal.com.